Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6071272 | Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology | 2014 | 7 Pages |
BackgroundAcral lentiginous melanomas compose a higher proportion of melanomas and have a higher mortality in ethnic minorities than in whites. Early detection by acral surface inspection during skin examinations may lead to improved acral lentiginous melanoma outcomes.ObjectiveThis study compared patient-reported frequencies of acral skin examinations in ethnic and white populations.MethodsWritten surveys were collected from 1040 dermatology clinic patients.ResultsMore whites reported performing self-skin examinations than ethnic minorities (P < .01), but there was no difference in the rates of hand (PÂ = .7) or foot (PÂ = .87) inspection during self-skin examination between whites and ethnic minorities. More whites (77.5%) than ethnic minorities (38.9%) reported having undergone a full-body skin examination (FBSE) from a health care provider (P < .01). During their most recent FBSE by a health care provider, more whites than ethnic minorities reported having their hands examined (PÂ = .02), but there was no difference in reported hand inspection (PÂ = .06) at any previous FBSE or foot inspection at any (PÂ = .07) or the most recent (PÂ = .59) FBSE between whites and ethnic minorities.LimitationsSingle-center study using a new unvalidated survey is a limitation.ConclusionWhites were found to more frequently report self-skin examination and FBSE than ethnic minorities, but significant differences in reported acral examinations were not detected.